Wednesday, December 23, 2009

SCBWI Team Blog Exclusive with Jenn Bailey

Yesterday I had the sweet treat of chatting with the fab Jenn Bailey via Twitter.

Jenn, graphic designer and professional blogger (and so much more), will be presenting three break-out sessions at the upcoming 11th SCBWI Conference in NYC.


We both donned our festive caps, grabbed a cuppa something, and sat down for a long winter's chat.

Here our transcript!


December 22, 2009
2:53 pm JennBailey: @cuppajolie The kettle is on. I've settled on African Rooibos tea. Perfect for this cold Kansas day. My Cuppa will be ready soon. #scbwi

2:59 pm cuppajolie: One more minute! Jingle, jingle! #scbwi


3:00 pm cuppajolie: I show one 1:00. Let's get this party started! #scbwi


3:00 pm cuppajolie: First, thank you for joining me for this exclusive twitterview at such a busy time of year, Jenn. #scbwi


3:00 pm JennBailey: @cuppajolie A red mug AND a Santa Hat! Wonderfully festive. #scbwi


3:01 pm cuppajolie: You inspired me, Jenn! A nice change. #scbwi


3:01 pm cuppajolie: You've got your cuppa African Rooibos and I have my cuppa water (boring, I know). We'll have to have a cocktail together in nyc. #scbwi


3:01 pm JennBailey: @cuppajolie My absolute pleasure! I've got my sons cleaning the house because I'm "busy", so this is great. #scbwi


3:02 pm cuppajolie: I have a handful of questions or topics I'd love to chat with you about? #scbwi


3:02 pm cuppajolie: ...but, if others have their own questions along the way, feel free to send them along and I'll throw them Jenn's way if time permits. #scbwi


3:03 pm cuppajolie: Please use #scbwi. #scbwi

3:03 pm cuppajolie: I've got my holiday music playing and my cuppa at my side. So, shall we get started? #scbwi


3:04 pm JennBailey: Yes, yes! I've Bing singing. We may just get that White Christmas here. #scbwi


3:05 pm cuppajolie: You'll be presenting 3 breakout sessions at the upcoming SCBWI conference in nyc: Viral Marketing/Promotion. #scbwi


3:05 pm cuppajolie: Can you give us the gist of your talk in 140 characters? #scbwi


3:07 pm JennBailey: There are no formulas that cause something to go viral. You have to entertain, educate or inspire your fan base and be ... (doh!) #scbwi


3:08 pm JennBailey: willing to let go of your message and encourage your audience to run with it. Relax, have fun and don't try too hard. #scbwi


3:09 pm cuppajolie: Will your talk be best suited for those already published? #scbwi


3:11 pm JennBailey: It will, but there are always lessons for the pre-published. Writers have to position themselves for book launch. Takes time to ... #scbwi


3:12 pm JennBailey: build that trusting fan base. If you push too hard and are not genuine folks will run screaming "Spam". #scbwi


3:13 pm cuppajolie: So true. Or just be turned off, yes? #scbwi


3:13 pm cuppajolie: I love those three key words you use: entertain, educate, and inspire? #scbwi


3:14 pm JennBailey: Exactly. People want to meet the author not the salesman. #scbwi


3:14 pm cuppajolie: And you mention not trying to hard. Would you say that's one of the biggest mistakes people make? #scbwi


3:17 pm JennBailey: I think it is, but you don't crash a party, stand on a chair and shout "Look at me! I've got something I want you to buy." #scbwi


3:18 pm JennBailey: At least not most of us. You want to listen first. Give a little. Be a friend to get a friend (as I said in LA). #scbwi


3:19 pm cuppajolie: Perhaps it's okay to stand on that chair and shout from the rooftop at the appropriate time(s)? (Just not over and over?) #scbwi


3:20 pm cuppajolie: "Be a friend to get a friend" is a great message, Jenn. #scbwi


3:21 pm JennBailey: Of course. When it's your party and everyone's excited to hear from you, SHOUT your head off. Just make sure people want to listen #scbwi


3:27 pm cuppajolie: Seems not to be liking my last tweet. Perhaps I'll try again with another. #scbwi


3:28 pm cuppajolie: In LA you did a twitter 101 session. Many are still not on twitter. Do you think they should jump on the twitter train? #scbwi


3:30 pm JennBailey: Twitter is one of the most power tools a writer can use for promoting themselves and their work. It's fast, accessible, searchable #scbwi


3:30 pm JennBailey: I call Twitter the great amplifier - but of course you need something to amplify. #scbwi


3:31 pm cuppajolie: Ack! Where is the time going. How 'bout just a one or two more? #scbwi


3:32 pm cuppajolie: What do you say to those that are afraid of twitter (one more social media tool to learn how to function in)? #scbwi


3:32 pm JennBailey: As long as I'm with you the boys will keep cleaning so . . . #scbwi


3:34 pm JennBailey: I'm going to borrow from myself again. Sorry to those who have heard this before. Social Media tools are NOT about technology #scbwi


3:35 pm JennBailey: They are about Anthropology. We want to connect, we've been doing it for eons - carrier pigeon, telegraph, sky writing . . . #scbwi


3:36 pm JennBailey: Twitter and the other tools are just a new way to say "Hi" and get to know people. You learned that when you were 2. There is ... #scbwi


3:36 pm JennBailey: nothing to be frazzled about. Just have fun and remember what your Mom taught you - Play Nice! #scbwi


3:36 pm cuppajolie: I do think that many are afraid of the how-tos of twitter, you know, all the @, RT, #, DM... #scbwi


3:37 pm cuppajolie: Yes. Play nice. Another great message, Jenn. People have certainly gotten themselves into trouble using social media. #scbwi


3:38 pm cuppajolie: If an author could only choose one social networking tool to use, which would you suggest. Where's is a good place to start. #scbwi


3:39 pm JennBailey: It may sound like code but it does make sense. And there are great resources out there from folks like @gregpincus and @inkyelbows #scbwi


3:40 pm JennBailey: That is such a hard question. Writers and Illustrators need a home so I'm all for a website or blog. Even a fan page on facebook #scbwi


3:41 pm JennBailey: But Twitter is like the Barker at the Circus, calling the curious and interested to come over and check things out. You need a ... #scbwi


3:42 pm JennBailey: place to send them too. Guess I'm not answering the question. #scbwi


3:42 pm cuppajolie: Do you think it's important for people to enjoy the tool they are using? ... #scbwi


3:43 pm JennBailey: Oh! Another resource (If I may) @leewind is coming out with a blogging ebook. Great stuff there too. #scbwi


3:43 pm cuppajolie: ...(Maybe this brings us full circle, back to not trying too hard.) #scbwi


3:45 pm JennBailey: Oh! You have to have fun! If you aren't it shines through. Transparency is important. BUT you also have to be where your audience is #scbwi


3:46 pm cuppajolie: And this has been FUN, Jenn. I look forward to having a cuppa something with you in nyc. #scbwi


3:46 pm JennBailey: If most of your fans are on MySpace, get used to MySpace and learn to be, at least, comfortable there. #scbwi


3:47 pm JennBailey: Let's go for a dirty martini, 3 olives. #scbwi


3:48 pm cuppajolie: Thank you so much for your time today. (I hope those boys got loads of clean up done for you.) #scbwi


3:48 pm cuppajolie: I've never had a dirty martini. Will have to try (when we meet up). #scbwi


3:49 pm cuppajolie: I will post transcripts of this chat with @JennBailey on my Cuppa Jolie blog asap. #scbwi


3:50 pm JennBailey: Thank you, Jolie. This was fun and I appreciate the spotlight :) #scbwi


3:51 pm cuppajolie: Earlybird registration is coming up (Jan. 4). If Santa leaves a little $ in your stocking, then you too can see Jenn! #scbwi


3:51 pm cuppajolie: It was my pleasure, Jenn. Looking forward to seeing you in a month (coming right up!). #scbwi


3:53 pm cuppajolie: Check out all the conference details here: http://www.scbwi.org/Conference.aspx?Con=5 The line up is amazing! #scbwi

2 comments:

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

Hey, this was really fun - curious if anyone "crashed" the #SCBWI tag to add in a question during the twitterview. But great stuff, and I too can't wait to see Jenn in NY!
Oh, and thanks for the shout out on my e-book on blogging. That was an unexpected treat reading through the transcript!
Namaste,
Lee

Lisa Harkrader said...

Jenn Bailey is great. She just led a social media workshop for Kansas SCBWI and gave us so much information, I'm still trying to absorb it all. I'm sorry I'm missing her session and all the other great stuff at SCBWI NY.